BILL NUMBER: AB 87	CHAPTERED  10/10/99

	CHAPTER   763
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   OCTOBER 10, 1999
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   OCTOBER 7, 1999
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   SEPTEMBER 3, 1999
	PASSED THE SENATE   SEPTEMBER 2, 1999
	AMENDED IN SENATE   AUGUST 31, 1999
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   MARCH 1, 1999

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Floyd
   (Coauthor:  Assembly Member Cardoza)

                        DECEMBER 10, 1998

   An act to add Section 123302 to the Health and Safety Code,
relating to supplemental food programs.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 87, Floyd.  California Special Supplementary Food Program for
Women, Infants, and Children.
   Existing law, the California Special Supplementary Food Program
for Women, Infants, and Children, authorizes the State Department of
Health Services to conduct a statewide program for providing
nutritional food supplements to low-income pregnant, postpartum, and
lactating women, and infants and children under 5 years of age, who
have been determined to be at nutritional risk by a health
professional.
   Existing law requires the department, under this program, to
authorize retail food vendors, by written agreement, to accept
nutrition coupons.
   Under existing law, the Health and Welfare Agency Data Center is
required to manage the implementation of a statewide electronic
benefits transfer system that would apply to, among other programs,
the Food Stamp Program.
   This bill would authorize the State Department of Health Services
to implement an electronic benefits transfer system for the
California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and
Children, except that implementation of the system would be
conditioned upon completion by the department of a feasibility study
and provision of funding for the system in the annual Budget Act.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) The California Special Supplemental Food Program for Women,
Infants, and Children (WIC) is a vital program for meeting the health
needs of pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women, infants, and
young children at nutritional risk.
   (b) The Food Stamp Program and other federal cash assistance
programs are rapidly moving to provide benefits through electronic
benefits transfer (EBT).
   (c) Redemption of WIC checks in grocery stores is a slow process
that inconveniences WIC participants, vendors, patrons of vendors,
and store clerks.
   (d) The United States Department of Agriculture, which administers
the WIC program, states that current WIC redemptions are the most
costly transaction retailers undertake in the course of the shopping
day, and urges state agencies to incorporate EBT in their management
systems to promote cost control and quality of client services.
   (e) Various federal, state, and local financial and food
assistance programs may require different EBT applications to meet
their specific programmatic requirements.
  SEC. 2.  Section 123302 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to
read:
   123302.  (a) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
department may design, implement, and fund an electronic benefits
transfer (EBT) system for the California Special Supplemental Food
Program for Women, Infants, and Children.  Sections 10066, 10067, and
10068 of, and subdivision (j) of Section 10072 of, the Welfare and
Institutions Code, shall apply to the administration of this section.

   (2) The department may not implement any electronic benefits
transfer system authorized by this section until the department
completes a feasibility study, and funding for the system is provided
in the annual Budget Act.
   (b) The department shall seek the advice of the Electronic
Benefits Transfer Committee, created by Section 10067 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, in implementing this section, and shall obtain
the approval of the United States Department of Agriculture, which
is the federal governing agency, prior to the establishment of any
electronic benefits transfer system.